A vehicle, in general, includes various components such an engine, suspension and transmission components, and a steering system which are packed together in an engine compartment of the vehicle. These vehicle components are packed with relation to each other to form a definite architecture.
The vehicle components are installed in a limited space in the engine compartment. This installation should be carried out in such a manner that the height of a vehicle from the ground is minimal. The installation should also be such that it allows the mounting of small-diameter wheels on the vehicle. Further, the installation should ensure maximum space utilization in the engine compartment. This is possible only by compactly packaging the vehicle components in the engine compartment.
The steering system of a vehicle is a crucial component for compact packaging since it is used to control the direction of the motion of the vehicle by maneuvering its wheels. The wheels are steered by transmitting operations of a manually steerable member, such as a steering wheel, to the wheels. The steering system includes various linkages that have a definite geometry. These linkages can place constraints on the installation of the suspension components with relation to the engine and the transmission components. Hence, there is a need for a steering system, which provides the possibility of compactly packaging suspension components with relation to the engine and the transmission components in the engine compartment.